The mud has gone from the clinically laid rugby pitches of the world that play home to Rugby Test matches, but the passion is still there, and especially when Australia plays New Zealand.

This year the atmosphere is being made tenser with the rivalry of the two NZ bred coaches Graham Henry (NZ All Blacks coach) and Robbie Deans (newly appointed Australian Wallabies coach)

The NZers cannot understand, especially those living in the Deans family stronghold of Christchurch, that their man got away across the Tasman Sea to be the Wallabies coach. After the All Blacks dipped out of the Rugby World Cup in September 2007, it seemed certain that Henry and his team of Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen would go. Their dismal loss in a quarterfinal was anything but attacking and should have spelled doom to the coaching team just as the John Mitchell post was in 2003. The fact that the All Blacks squandered victory by playing a negative game plan even when in the opposition 22 meter zone should have spelled doom for any rugby coach - let alone a National coach in a Rugby World Cup quarter final.

Robbie Deans, the highly successful coach of the Super 14 franchise the Crusaders, which saw him guide them to four wins in seven years, was the obvious replacement. But alas, the numbers on the NZRU Board were with Graham Henry and to the amazement of the rugby world he held the position.

So on to Sydney, the home of the 2000 Olympic Games, able to take a crowd of 83,000 people and where the air will be tense as the All Blacks under Coach Henry play the Wallabies coached by Deans in the first of four Bledisloe Cup challenge matches for 2008.

The word from across the Tasman and the Christchurch home of Deans shows that 42% will be barracking for the Wallabies. That is an amazing fact that says a lot for the man who’s family were one of the first in the Canterbury plains sheep farming country 160 years ago. The family home, Riccarton House, is now a showpiece and tourist attraction maintained by the city council. This is real Dean’s country and to the extent of forcing previously passionate All Black supporters into turn coats barracking for Australia!

Amazing, and a demonstration about how seriously the Cantabrians take their rugby in that they are prepared to lose their National pride for the sake of one rugby coach.

The contests across the field will also be worth the entry money with second rower Brad Thorn up against Nathan Sharpe and Mat Giteau (Wallaby) at fly half against world number one in that position Dan Carter.

In the Wallaby outside backs there will be rugby league converts Berrick Barnes, Ryan Cross and Lote Tuquiri running in the same backline with the prospect of fellow convert Timana Tahu coming on as a replacement. This will be recognition that the best backs are playing rugby league in Australia and will be vying for fat contracts to play rugby union either in Australia or in the lucrative markets available to them in Japan and Europe.

The first Bledisloe will be a ripper of a game with a lot resting on the outcome for coaches, players and future rugby league players looking for the big bucks.